FAA extends closure date for New Bedford's tower

NEW BEDFORD — Originally slated to shut down in a month, New Bedford Regional Airport is among 149 air traffic control towers where closures have been delayed until June 15, the FAA announced Friday.

SIMÓN RIOS

NEW BEDFORD — Originally slated to shut down in a month, New Bedford Regional Airport is among 149 air traffic control towers where closures have been delayed until June 15, the FAA announced Friday.

"I think that it's the smart play," said airport manager Tom Vick, who previously had been told the tower would close down on May 5.

"Enough mistakes have been made that they have to get this right."

Vick said he is hopeful that in the meantime Washington will be able to figure out a last-minute solution to the situation, spawned by the sequester funding cuts.

"Anything's possible — anything can happen in Washington, we know that, whether it's a legal action or it is members of Congress getting together across the aisle to work together on this, which is happening."

The Federal Aviation Administration said it needs more time to deal with legal challenges to the closures.

Also, about 50 airport authorities and other "stakeholders" have indicated they want to fund the operations of the towers themselves rather than see them shut down, and more time will be needed to work out those plans, the agency said in a statement.

The first 24 tower closures were scheduled to begin Sunday, with the rest coming over the next few weeks. Obama administration officials have said the closures are necessary to accomplish government-wide automatic spending cuts required by Congress.

Vick said when the tower ceases to operate, an advisory group, provided by the city, will be present at peak hours and on weekends to provide information to pilots relative to weather, debris, birds, and other observable conditions — just not takeoffs and landings.